


tomorrow it will be alright

by chase_acow



Category: Saved By the Bell (TV)
Genre: Gen, Homelessness, Homophobia, Hurt/Comfort, Implied/Referenced Rape/Non-con, abusive situations, lots of comfort, trick - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-10-25
Updated: 2019-10-25
Packaged: 2021-01-02 17:15:36
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,117
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21165248
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/chase_acow/pseuds/chase_acow
Summary: Zack gets caught sneakinginto school of all things.





	tomorrow it will be alright

**Author's Note:**

  * For [iwasanartist](https://archiveofourown.org/users/iwasanartist/gifts).

"Hey, hey, hey, what is going on here?"

Zack froze, only halfway to safety with his legs still dangling out the window to the boys' locker room. Of course Belding would ruin the last safe place he had. He froze at the hands on his knees, his heart exploded and he panicked, kicking out the way he should have before. The way he was too scared and drunk to before.

"Ow! Watch it!" Belding yelled, letting go of Zack's legs. "Listen, mister. Unless you want to spend the rest of your senior year in detention, wiggle yourself out of there right this minute."

Heartbeat still racing like Screech on a set of bongos, Zack shifted his hips until he could slide backward, landing on the grass. His backpack thudded down on the ground at his feet, suspiciously overstuffed. Running his hand through his hair, he realized how badly the shaved sides had grown out. He shuddered internally, he might have to shave it all soon before it got any worse.

Belding bent and grabbed his bag while Zack was still daydreaming about getting gang-pressed into the army because of his shaved head, and held it away when Zack tried to pull it back. "And what exactly is in here, hm?" Belding asked, unzipping it while he glared Zack into submission. "Fireworks for the teacher's restroom? Magnets in the robotics room? Stealing a test rubric? Some other ridiculously insane prank that should never work in a million years, but somehow you manage it?"

Zack cut his eyes to the side, plucking his imaginary suspenders with pride. He turned and grimaced at Belding waning patience. He was very aware that he didn't have any kind of safety net anymore, all he had was himself to count on. "Uh, you got me, sir. I was going to sneak into the drama room and start a fight between them and the marching band so I could have the theater for a swimsuit competition," he said, mouth moving almost faster than the lies could come to him. It wasn't a half bad plan though, and it would squash any suspicion that he didn't actually care too much for the models. Unless of course, he could get the boys' swim team and their speedos involved.

"A swimsuit competition?" Belding didn't look convinced. He poked the bag probably checking for explosives, but luckily he didn't look inside it to find Zack's dirty underwear he was going to wash in the Home Ec laundry.

"Timeout," Zack tapped his hands together and then took his backpack. He backed away from his principal, scrubbing a hand over his face. He was so tired, he couldn't squash the craving for his mom's meatloaf, and he missed watching _Fresh Prince_. "I can't tell Mr. Belding the truth. I don't know what he'll do if he finds out about me. And if I don't graduate high school, I can't go to college, and I have to get out of here. This calls for quick escape, maybe I can get rid of him. Time-in."

"You've been keeping a low profile lately," Belding said, jerking suddenly as he re-balanced to not having the bag in his hands. He glanced down at the overstuffed backpack at Zack's feet. "Is everything going okay?"

"Just peachy," Zack said, forcing a smile. "If fact, this was just a misguided attempt to fix the slacking off of my slacking off. You know what? I'm sure Mrs. B is expecting you at home any second now. I'll just close this window up and go straight h-home to think about what I've done wrong."

He barely stuttered over the word home, but he had the sinking feeling that his charm had run out. If Belding ran him out of the school, he'd have to try his luck at one of the shelters downtown again. It hadn't gone well for him last time. He was a apparently a little too pretty to resist. Zack washed his face every chance he got, but sometimes he could still feel their fingers on his cheeks.

"Zach, son, I thought after everything we'd been through over the years, that we were friends," Belding said, brushing his suit jacket back so he could hook his thumbs in his belt in his patented you-can't-kid-a-kidder pose that never worked. "Now, can't you tell me what's wrong?"

Except this time it was working.

"I fell in love," Zack said, the words shot out like bullets from a gun, and just as deadly. He shuffled his feet when he felt those hated pin pricks of tears at the corner of his eyes and cursed himself. He'd cried enough, he just wanted somewhere quiet and safe so he could be alone. He didn't really want to be alone, though. He dug his fingernails into his palm, trying to redirect. "It's nothing. How's Baby B doing? He walking yet?"

"They don't walk until almost a year," Belding said, his voice soft as he reached out for Zack's shoulders and folded him into a hug. "What's wrong with falling in love?"

Zack kept his distance for only a moment before he melted, burying his face in the lapel of Belding's suit. He clutched tightly at the material, breathing deeply, and just focusing on how good it felt to be held. He was sure it wouldn't last long. "Nothing wrong with falling in love. Not unless they convince you to do things you don't want to do. And then they film you. And then they show it to your parents to blackmail them for money."

"That's illegal! Did you go to the police?" Belding asked, releasing Zack briefly before he realized how tightly Zack was holding on and went back to hugging him.

His dad's angry shouts still echoed through his skull. How could he be so stupid? How could he be so disgusting? How could he do this to their family? Zack took a deep breath and realized he had left snot all over Belding's jacket. Yet another stupid mistake.

"No," Zack said, he'd wanted to, after the shock wore off, but Dad wouldn't let him. "If I went to the police, then everything would be public. People could find out what I am."

"And what's that?"

"Gay. I'm gay, sir," Zack said, pulling away and wiping his face on his sleeve. There. He'd said it out loud. In front of people. Or at least, in front of Mr. Belding who was the closest he'd gotten to people so far. He hadn't been able to any of his friends, but he didn't know how much longer he'd be able to keep fooling them. He didn't want to see the looks on their faces as they put it together. How easy it was to talk him into a dress, or how he'd always shared his bed when Slater had stayed over. He didn't want to answer Kelly's questions. He loved her, he just had never been _in_ love with her. He'd fought so hard to keep this part of himself hidden, a part of him did think it would be a relief to let everyone know. But he was scared.

"Zack, have you been staying here?" Belding asked, glancing up at the window Zack had rigged so it couldn't be locked from the inside. Whatever Zack's face was doing must have been enough of an answer for him. "Poor kid, none of this is okay."

He hadn't thought he'd had any lower to sink, but once again he'd been wrong. It was like Zack could feel the rest of his hope dribble out to puddle on the concrete sidewalk only to be replaced with overwhelming panic. "Please sir, please. Don't call the cops I won't stay here any more, I swear," he babbled, holding up his hands but not daring to touch Mr. Belding again. He wouldn't want that, not now that he knew what Zack was, and Zack really didn't even blame him.

The last time Zack had tried to talk his way out of a loitering ticket, he'd sworn he wouldn't bother them again. That had been at the beginning, when he didn't know how to keep moving, keep out of sight. Cops weren't as easy to fool as a high school principal.The bruise had faded to a fist-sized green blob across his stomach, joining the still mottled skin of his thighs and backside.

He was just lucky no one had hit him where it would show.

"Of course I'm not calling the police, Zack!" 

Belding sounded so offended, and even hurt that Zack couldn't help letting his gaze slide up to the look the man in the face. All he saw was concern, none of the disgust he'd expected.Tears bubbled up again, hated and unwanted. He turned his back to Belding, kicking at the wall hard enough the pain shocked up his shin bone. He kicked it again and felt good.

"Don't hurt yourself, son, none of this is your fault," Belding said as his big hand came down on Zack's shoulder, pulling him away from the wall.

"It's just another two months," Zack said, reminding himself. Just another two months of acting like everything was okay, lying to his friends, trying to find enough to eat so he didn't have to bum off them more than he had to. "I've got a job offer over the summer, it's just hard to coordinate when I can't give them a permanent address or phone. Please, just let me wash my clothes here and then I'll figure something else out?"

"I can't do that, Zack," Belding said, turning him around to look in his eyes. "But I can do something different. Come have dinner with me and Mrs. Belding. She'd love to see you. She's making her pot roast and there's always more than enough."

Zack wished he could, but it was the same reason he didn't ask Screech if Zack could stay with him. He couldn't burden anyone else, he needed to figure things out on his own. And if David found him again- well, there hadn't been much to today's school lunch, but what was left rolled in his stomach. "I can't, Mr. Belding. You've got enough to worry about without me messing things up," Zack said. He bent to pick up his bag, holding in a hiss when he tweaked his ribs.

"You can't mess things up, Zack. You keep things interesting. You have a good heart and a bright future. All I'm asking you to do is take a little help now so that later you'll be able to help so many other people too," Belding said, though he stood to the side letting Zack know he could go if he wanted to. 

Help other people. Zack knew intimately now he wasn't the only one with problems. A month ago, his worst problem was a lack of funds to take Ginger out so he could lie to Slater later and say he got past second base. Now his problems including scraping together enough change for a haircut and getting over his pride to put the coins down on the counter. He didn't even have it half as bad as some of the kids living on the streets. Belding had always for some reason thought Zack was better than he was.

"Are you sure, Mr. Belding?" Zack asked, wanting to give the man one more chance to take it back. He didn't want to hold anything back either, not after everything they'd been through. "I went and got tested at the free clinic, but they said I'd need to go back because some things might not show up until later."

That had been a shock, and he never would have thought about it if his dad hadn't thrown the idea of AIDS in his face. He was scared to go to the clinic, but more scared what could happen if he didn't. There'd been all sorts of people in there, but everyone had stared at him and his clothes and his hair. Zack had never been anywhere else he'd hated more, and that included detention.

"I'll go with you if you want me to," Belding offered, taking his keys out of his pocket and holding out his arm for Zack. "Whatever you decide, give whoever needs it my address and I'll make sure you get your mail."

"I suppose," Zack said, trying to get a little of his swag back. "I suppose dinner wouldn't hurt anything."

"Atta boy," Belding said, his voice loud and overly excited again, but at least familiar. He patted Zack's back and then held on soothingly. "Nothing's going to keep you down, kid."


End file.
